ANOTHER FERRY TALE
Last week I wrote a piece about some of my ferry observations. From the response, it seems like you, my most loyal, illustrious, discriminating readership liked it! Well, since I am a preacher, well-trained in milking any topic to death, I figger that I have at least one more ferry tale in me. So here it is, "Ferry Tales, the 'Seaquel' -Tales From Beyond the Wave!"
As I explained last week, one of the realities of life around ferries is that the unexpected should always be expected. But, if the unexpected is expected, does that make the expected, unexpected? Sometimes, I'm just too deep for my own good! Ok, lets get back on the boat. Ferries, by their very nature are more organic than roads and bridges. By organic, what I really mean is to say is that they, like us, are affected adversely, by the weather.
I remember one November, while we still lived on Prince Edward Island, Sheila's parents were just coming to the end of a visit. They were going to leave the very next day. At least that was the plan. But alas, it was not to be. For the next couple of days ferry service was cancelled, as winds over 100 km/hr made the straits not so straight.
It was interesting to see Sheila's parents' facial cast make the transformation. They went from their usually calm, reserved expression, to the cold, glassy-eyed stare of a caged animal! It's funny, PEI is 120 miles long and anywhere from 3 to 60 miles wide, with several towns and all the amenities. Most people almost forget they're on an Island. I myself went well over a year one time without ever leaving the Island even once. But, take that ferry away, and immediately the Island shrinks to suffocating proportions.
I also remember another time one winter when there was an extended cold snap and the straits developed extremely heavy ice. Yep, you guessed it, on one of the crossings, the ferry got stuck--for a couple of days! No one got on, no one got off. As the people on the boat got free meals, courtesy of Northumberland Ferries Ltd., lines of trucks and cars waited on both sides to get on with their lives. As you can imagine, it wasn't much fun for anyone involved!
The strangest account that I was personally involved in takes place on one of the Deer Island ferries. I believe it was the "Deer Island Princess", or as the locals like to refer to it, the DIP. The Ferry docked on the Letete side with no problems and we loaded on as usual. Then, as it started towards Deer Island, and got about 100 yards off the landing, something happened. Suddenly, huge clouds of black smoke started to billow their way out of the engine room. Now, I have to admit, such experiences, as exciting as they may be, aren't particularly enjoyable. We kind of floated around in eight knot currents for a bit. After about 10 minutes, we ended up backing all the way over to Deer Island with the tide making it almost impossible to dock. The docking wasn't the most graceful in the books, but it sure was pretty to me! It seems that the transmission lost all its forward gears, hummm!
OK, what's the point to all these
ferry misadventures?
Well, the realities of using the ferry has both a startling similarity and also a cavernous contrast to our relationship to Jesus.
First, the similarity: In order to get where you want to go via ferry, you have to drive or walk on the ferry. From that point on, there is nothing else you can do, except wait. Your efforts regarding the journey are over and all that is left is for you to trust in the ferry's ability to get you to your chosen destination. Well, one of the central realities of the Christian Faith is remarkably similar--we cannot earn our salvation. No matter how good we are, no matter how far we can drive ourselves to meet God, we are left with a strait of serious girth to cross. The only way we can make that trip to the land of loving relationships and eternal life is by stopping our engines, and letting Jesus' sacrifice ferry us across that strait. In other words, you can't get to Heaven by any other route. You have to load yourself on the gracious vessel of God's saving work found only in Christ. "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12).
Now, for the contrast: Unlike man-made ferries, God's ferry is absolutely reliable. There are no breakdowns, no adverse winds or weather too severe to stop this ferry from docking at its appointed destination. Sometimes trusting in a ferry is a dubious, albeit necessary venture. But, placing our trust in Jesus is the wisest travel arrangements we could ever make. There will be no delays, no cancellations, no interruptions in service due to unscheduled maintenance. What God has promised through Christ, is backed up with the biggest, best guarantee in the business "because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." (2 Tim 1:12b).
Prayer
Lord, God: Thank You for giving us safe passage through Jesus. Thank You that You have made a way to take us from the land of pain, to the land of promise. Lord, thank You that no matter how high the waves, or how wild the winds, You will take us to where it's calm and peaceful. Finally, Lord, thank you for always being there, always running on schedule, always having enough room for anyone who would come by faith through Your Son Jesus Christ. Amen!
